Chris,
wow this is some curry and so very different to the "tomato, garlic, ginger" type i'm used to. i put it in the fine dining class.
i was particularly interested in the high proportion of fresh ginger (3") and spices (3 tbsp c/w my norm say max 2 tsp for the qty of base). i was also interested in the sun dried tomato which i like and use in other non Indian recipes with good success. i was amazed that the ginger, spices & sun dried all worked very well.
the Chopped Onion and Coconut (i used cream block) also added a very nice touch. i dipped out on the chilli using only 2 (see below).
my only thought when i make again is to reduce the qty of curry leaves in the balti masala. it may well be what some would rave for or a key part of the intended taste of the dish but for me their taste stuck out too much (would change from 20 leaves to say 5 or ~1 tsp max). i also might change the spice ration to 50:50 balti masal:madras masala from the existing 2:1. and of course for me - star anise goes in all.
with these small tweaks this would be a top notch curry for me. many thanks for the post.
Nb caution i had difficulty making the chilli paste with my hand held mixer as the released vapour in the air got my throat - must do is to use a covered grinder. I knew about the safety guidelines for grinding chilli but wrongly thought the water cover would be enough.